A Little piece of Paradise… College Hill, Ohio - SELFCRAFT

ound trip. 44In 1883 a new railroad was incorporated, the Cincinnati Northwestern Railway, which includedthe College Hill Railroad. Simpson and Davey were still leaders in this new venture, and plans weremade to extend the line to Liberty, Indiana. The narrow gauge size was abandoned and a third railadded to increase the width of the tracks.To haul ever-increasing loads and to be able to connect to other railways, a wider, standardgauge was already in use. Cars needed to be interchangeable for efficiency and to eliminate somepassenger transfers.The CNR remained a passenger service and was never extended to Indiana. The demise of therailroad was the coming of the electric streetcar in 1892. The first electric streetcar came to CollegeHill in 1895, being a major force in bringing people to the hill. The streetcar was not as fast, but farewas only a nickel. Some of the same right-of-ways were used, and the tracks converted for thestreetcar lines.Because of the traction lines bisecting the roads, the streets were in such poor condition thatpeople refused to pay a toll fee. One of the worst stretches was Hamilton Avenue from College Hill toMt. Healthy, according to a 1902 article in the Cincinnati Post. Toll gates were becoming a thing ofthe past wherever streetcars were used.Carrying passengers via the railroad was discontinued in 1899 as revenues fell. Robert Simpsondied in 1899 and his family divested itself of the almost worthless railroad stock in 1901. The railroadwas purchased to become part of the Southern Ohio Traction Company. Wages paid in 1901 variedfrom 19 cents/hr. for those motormen with less than three years experience, to 21 cents/hr. for thosewith six or more years of service. The Southern Ohio Traction Company was merged in 1926 into theCincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Electric Streetcar line. In 1930 it became a part of the Cincinnati &Lake Erie Line. By 1938 all of these interurban were disappearing as the more familiar street carsfilled the roads.By looking through the property title of the late Willis H. Forbes, the land contained in CollegeHill’s first subdivision arising from the sale of Farmers’ College lands, can be traced. In 1798, - thethirtieth section containing 640 acres was sold from John Cleves Symmes to Nehemiah Tunis for$1280. Then it was sold from Nehemiah to his son, Jabez C. Tunis, in 1812 for $800 in the NewJersey court. Jabez and his wife, Phebe, sold it to William Cary for $3440.48, Sept. 8, 1813. Thedescription of the land mention’s ‘Gray’s fifty-two acres’ so Gray must have purchased his landearlier. Cary’s parcel contained about 491.5 acres. The land was left in William Cary’s 1862 will toRebecca, his wife, and S. F. Cary, their son. The property next appears in the will of F. G. Cary’s son,William Cary, 1894. The land was purchased in public sale in 1894 by Charles Phares for $1376.67.The property is now two lots, 100 feet fronting Cary Ave. by 193 feet deep. By 1901 the lots are incourt through the will of Elizabeth Sayre, with Caroline Caldwell executor. Liens against the propertyare held by the Second National Bank, Village of College Hill for street and paving assessments, andEugene Lewis claims delinquent taxes. The land was foreclosed and appraised prior to sale for $2400but there were no bidders. In 1903 Willis H. Forbes buys the land for $800.The Forbes family were carpenters and builders. Thomas A. Forbes built the neat house at 5807Glenview Avenue in the mid-1880’s. It has been modernized over time but keeps its Victorian charm.The rear of the property adjoins the old College Hill railroad. The decorated fascia board adds aunique look to the gutters and is enhanced by the contrasting paint scheme. The vertical boardtreatment on the front elevation, the two large chimneys on the side, plus the small dormers all add tothe charm of this old home. A carpenter, Mr. Forbes also built the house at 5805 Glenview.In 1869 the Hopkins subdivision was platted, three lots on the northeast corner of HamiltonAvenue and North Bend Road. That year the Knight subdivision was for sale - North Bend Road44 The College Hill Narrow Gauge, John H. White, originally published in the Bulletin of the Cincinnati Historical Society,October, 1960.123